Multiple needle looping machine



Nov. 19, 1946. AMRI 2,411,268

MULTIPLE NEEDLE LOOPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1944' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1NOV. 19, 1945. v HAMRlCK I 2,411,263

MULTIPLE NEEDLE LOOPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov.19, 1946. L. HAMRICK MULTIPLE NEEDLE LOOPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 19445 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 19, 1946. L. HAMRICK MULTIPLE NEEDLE LOOPINGMACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NOV. 19; 1946. HAMRlCK2,411,263

MULTIPLE NEEDLE LOOPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1944 7 5 Sheets-SheetfiPatented Nov. 19, 1946 1 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICED' MULTIPLE NEEDLELQOPING. MACHINE "Lyman Hamrick, Gaflrney', s. o. Application August 4,1944, Serial No. 548,017

Claims. (01. 112-79) This invention relates to a multipleneedle loopingmachine having means for pulling the fabric through the machine with aneedle bar provided with a plurality of needles for piercing the fabricand carrying a strand therethrough and having a plurality of loopers orone looper for each needle adapted to engage the strand after the strandhas been carried through the fabric by the needle and having means fornot only oscillating the loopers in a back and forth manner, but alsogiving further oscillation to the loopers when they have engaged thestrands to thereby lengthen the loops to a greater degree than if onlythe first oscillation mentioned were imparted to the looper shaft. 1 i

It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple needle loopingmachine having a needle bar provided with a plurality of needles forpiercing a fabric and having a looper shaft provided with a plurality ofloopers with means connecting the looper shaft to an oscillating shaftand means for oscillatingthe second-named shaft to pass the loopersbetween the strand and the needle when the needle is in loweredposition, and also having other means for imparting oscillation to thelooper shaft after its loopers have engaged the strands on associatedneedles to pull the points of the loopers further downwardly away fromthe fabric to thus form greatly increased lengths of loops on the lowersurface of l the fabric.

It is another object of this inventionto provide a multiple needlelooping machine having a unitary needle bar provided with a plurality ofneedles for piercing the fabric with an intermittently movable feed rollfor drawing the fabric past the needles and a plurality of loopersdisposed below the fabric and adapted to engage the strands carried bythe needles through the fabric for forming loops on the lower surface ofthe fabric together with means for imparting additional oscillation tothe loopers to greatly lengthen the loops being formed on thelowersurface of the fabric.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the machine with the central portionthereof broken away, and with the bottom portion of the framework brokenaway;

Figure 2 is an end elevation looking at the lefthand side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the needle bar;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a portion of the needle bar;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view on in Figure l;

an enlarged scale, and taken along the line 5 5 Figure 6 is a viewsimilar to Figure 5, but showing the looper in a different position;

Figure 7 is a top plan viewjof a portion of, the

bed plate; l

Figure 8 is an elevation of the. clutch arrangement for driving the feedroll with the annular member removed, and taken along the line 8-8 inFigure 1;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through the clutch arrangementshown inFigure 8, and taken along the line '99 in Figure 8.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral it] indicatesfront upright frame members while ll indicates the rear upright framemembers. The reference character 12 indicates a transverse upper frontframe angle member, While reference character [3 indicates the rearhorizontal angle. member.

The upper ends of the vertical members lil and H are joined together bymeans of angle mam-- bers 9, and On these angle members 9, thehorizontal front and rear angle members IZ-and I3 are disposed. i

These angle members I2 and I3 have spanning the distance therebetween aplurality of bars I4 on which a plurality of bearings [5 are mounted andin which bearings an upper drive shaft [6 is mounted for rotation; shaft[6 has a hand wheel lea thereon onone' end thereof so that the electricmotor 2! suitably supported in a manner not shown.

Spanning'the distance between the rear uprightframememb'ers H is achannel member 25 having fixed thereon a plurality of sets of bearings26 in which are mounted for vertical reciprocation a plurality of rods21 whose upper ends are p-ivotally connected as at 28 to an eccentricarm 29 which encircles an eccentric portion 36 fixed on the shaft 16.

To the lower ends of the bars 21, there is secured a. needle bar 3|having a plurality'of spaced needles 32 projecting from the lowersurface thereof. These needles 32 aremounted in vertically disposedholes 34 and are-fixed in position by means of set screws 35. The needlebar also has a plurality of vertically disposed holes 31, there being ahole 3'! .for each needle, through which the strands of yarn 38 are ledfrom suitable packages, not shown. 1

For guiding the strands of yarn, there is an angle bar4l! fixed to thefront surface of upper horizontal angle bar I2 andhaving a plurality ofholes therethrough,through which the strands Y J of yarn 38 are passedfor guiding the same and keeping the strands of yarn separated from eachother.

Disposed between the front vertical frame members It! is a horizontallydisposed rod 4 I beneath which the strands of yarn 38 are guided ontheir way to the vertically disposed holes 31 in the needle bar 3 I.

The channel member 25- has fixed 1 thereto downwardly projecting strapmembers 45 to the lower end of which is fixed an angle bar 16 having aplurality of holes 41 therethrough for npassage of the needles and theyarn carried thereby. This angle bar 46 is adapted to serve as a'presserfoot or presser bar for pressing a fabric 54 against a 'bedplate whichis mounted-on two-horizonthrough the machine.

Mounted in suitable bearings 55 and 56 are stub shafts 51 and 58respectively, which are fixed in the ends of a take-up sand roll 59which has a roughened or abrasive :surface thereon, which "may beacovering of perforated material, or any suitable friction covering suchas is present on .sand rolls in looms.

Pivotally mounted as at 69 and GI on the rear frame members I I arelinks 62v and 63inthe freeends of which are mounted 'stub'shafts 64 and65 which are embedded in and fixed'to a. weight roll '65 which isadapted to rest on the roughened roll 59, and b-etweengwhich the cloth54 is adapted to pass as shown in Figure 2.

Intermittent motion is given to the take-up roll 59 by means of a freewheeling clutch arrangement fixed on the stub shaft 57. This comprises amember I9 rotatably mounted on stub shaft 51 and having a lever arm IIfixed thereto which projects forwardly of the machine and is slotted asat I3 in which is adjustably mounted by means of a bolt M the lower endof a link I5, the upper end of which has a bearing which encircles aneccentric I6 fixedly mounted on shaft I6. This imparts up and downmotion to the free end of lever .H and'thus oscillates the member 19back and forth on the stub shaft 51 The periphery of member 10 has aplurality of tapering notches BE! therein in which rollers 8I aremounted. Fixedly mounted on stub shaft 51 is a cup-shaped member 83whose periphery is adapted to encircle the member I6. An annular member84 is fixed over the open end of the cupshaped member 83 to confine themember "II! against endwise movement on the stub shaft 51 and to confinethe rollers 8| in the notches 89.

It isthus seen that as the lever I I moves downwardly, the rollers 8|will roll back into'the larger portion of the notches 8i) and will haveno tendency to move the cup-shaped member 83; whereas,

upon upward movement of the free end of lever "I I, the rollers 8| willmove into the narrow or converging end of the notches 80 and will bewedged between the wall of the notches and the peripheral portion of themember 63 and will therefore impart a step by step rotation to thetake-up roll 59. This movement of the shaftB'I and the take- -up roll 59occurswhile the needle is moving up- -warclly outof the fabric anddownwardly to shaft I03 has fixed thereon alever arm I04 which '30pierce the fabric so as to move the fabric a sufficient amount to allowthe needles to penetrate the fabric again to form new loops from theyarn carried by the needles. The distance apart of the loops isregulated by the point of adjustment of bolt I4 in slot I3.

. Fixed on shaft I6 is a sprocket wheel 86 on which is mounted asprocket chain 81 which extends downwardly and is mounted on a sprocketwheel 88 fixed on shaft 89. This shaft 89 is mounted in bearings 99 and9| disposed on angle bar 92 and bar 93 respectively supported at theirends by suitable brackets 94 secured to the front and rear upright framemembers In and I I.

Mounted on the shaft 39 is a closed cam wheel 95 having a closed camtrackSlG therein in which a pin 91 fixed on one end of arm 98 is adaptedto be confined to impart oscillationto lever arm 98. This lever arm 98is fixedly secured on an oscillating shaft .99 which is mountedinsuitable bearings I93 and IIJI at its ends.

Fixed on shaft 99 is a plurality of uprightmerhberg I92 in the upperends of which is mounted for oscillation a looper shaft IE3. Members I02 are split at .their'lower ends and are adapted to 'clampingly engageshaft 99 by means .of a bolt I'I9 so as to angularly and longitudinallyadjust these members relative to shaft 99. This looper is pivotallyconnected as at I to an eccentric arm 106 which encircles an eccentricIE2"! fixed on shaft 89.

To the rear surface of looper shaft 1403 as viewed from standing infrontkof the machine, there is fixed in sections a looper carrying barIIO having adjustably mounted therein. a.plu-

'rality of loopers III, these loopers being wVertically adjustable bymeans of suitable set screws IE3 and the sections of the looper bar I I0being secured to the looper shaft I93 'bymeans of a plurality of bolts'II4. It is to be noted that the front or pointed ,portion of each looperhas a shoulder "H5 which is adapted to engage the strand as the extremepointed portion of the looper passes between the strand and the needleas it moves to lowered position, and thisshoulder prevents the loopsfrom travelling further back on the looper as-shcwn'in Figure 6.

With theparts in the position shown in Figure 5, as the needle startsits upward movement, the closed-channel 9B in cam wheel oscillates arm98, which oscillates the shaft 99 to move the looper point in betweenthe yarn carriedby the needle and the needle itself, and immediatelyabove the needle eye, and thus prevents the yarn from being withdrawnfrom the fabric on the up ward travel of the needle. At the same time,after the looper has passed in between the needle and the yarn to causethe yarn to impinge against its shoulder II the eccentric Mil causesdownward movementof arm IIMto also oscillate shaft "I03 to the positionshown in Figure 6 to thus draw out the loops to a much greater lengththan would bet-he case were not this double oscillation given to theshafts 99 and H33 respectively,

surface of the bed plate passes over a roller I25 rotatably mountedinbearings I25 supported on blocks I2? secured to the front surface ofthe front vertical posts I9. I

It is to be noted that the lever arms 98 and I04 are split at the endwhere they encircle the shafts 99 and I03, respectively, and arepenetrated by a suitable bolt l l8 which allows angular adjustment ofthe lever arms 98 and Hit relative to their respective shafts and alsopermits longitudinal adjustment of same to align them with therespective eccentrics with which they are adapted to operate. 1

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for thepurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. A looping machine comprising a framework having a needle bar providedwith a plurality of needles and means for imparting verticalreciprocation to the needle bar and needles to pierce a fabric beingpassed through the machine, an oscillating shaft disposed below thefabric and having a pair of upwardly projecting arms thereon, a loopershaft mounted for oscillation in the upper ends of said arms, means forimparting oscillation to the first-named shaft to pass the loopersbetween the needles and the strands carried thereby to engage thestrands when the needles are in lowered position so as to form loops onthe lower surface of the fabric as the needles are withdrawn from thefabric, means for also imparting oscillation to the looper shaft formoving the points of the loopers further downwardly away from the fabricto lengthen the loops already formed by the loopers from the yarn passedthrough the fabric by the needles.

2. A looping machine comprising a framework having a needle bar providedwith a plurality of needles and means for imparting verticalreciprocation to the needle bar and needles to pierce a fabric beingpassed through the machine, an oscillating shaft disposed below thefabric and having a pair of upwardly projecting arms thereon, a loopershaft mounted for oscillation in the upper ends of said arms, means forimparting oscillation to the first-named shaft to pass the loopersbetween the needles and the strands carried thereby to engage thestrands when the needles are in lowered position so as to form loops onthe lower surface of the fabric as the needles are withdrawn from thefabric, means for also imparting oscillation to the looper shaft formoving the points of the loopers further downwardly away from the fabricto lengthen the loops already formed by the loopers from the yarn passedthrough the fabric by the needles, a feed roll for pulling the fabricpast the needles in step by step movement, and means driven in timedrelation to the needles for moving the fabric upon each up and downmovement of the needles.

3. In a looping machine comprising a framework having a verticallyreciprocable needle bar provided with a plurality of needles, a bedplate having a plurality of elongated slots therein, through which thneedles are adapted to project, means for feeding a fabric acros the bedplate, a presser bar adapted to press on the upper side of the fabric,said presser bar having a plurality of holes therethrough through whichthe needles with a strand carried thereby are adapted to project topenetrate the fabric and penetrate 6 the slots in the bed plate, anoscillatable shaft disposed below the bed plate, a main shaft having cammeans thereon and a connection between the cam means and theoscillatable shaft for 5 imparting oscillation to the oscillatableshaft,

said oscillatable shaft having a plurality of uprising arms fixedthereto and a looper shaft mounted for oscillation in the upper ends ofsaid arms, a lever carried by the looper shaft and having a connectionat its outer end extending downwardly, a cam member disposed on the mainshaft and a connection between the cam member and said connection on theouter end of said lever for imparting oscillation to the looper shaft,the looper haft having aflixed thereto a plurality of looper members,each looper member having a pointed end and a shoulder disposed on thelower surface thereof immediately below the pointed end and againstwhich the yarn is adapted to impinge when the looper is passed betweenthe yarn and the needle carrying same upon oscillation of thefirst-named shaft, the looper shaft bein adapted to be oscillated in theupper ends of said uprising arms to impart further downward movement tothe free ends of the looper members after they have been passed intoengagement with the strands carried by the needles to form loop-sthereon, whereby the loops formed by the loopers will be pulleddownwardly further as the needles move upwardly to thereby form moreelongated loops on the lower surface of the fabric being passed throughthe machine.

4. A looper mechanism comprising an oscillatable shaft, means forimparting oscillation to the shaft, a plurality of uprising arms aifixedon said shaft, a looper shaft mounted for oscillation in the upper endsof said arms, a looper member fixed on said shaft, an arm extending fromsaid looper shaft, an eccentric mechanism having a connection with saidarm for imparting oscillation to the looper shaft, a bed plate forsupporting a fabric adapted to be pierced by a needle, the looper havinga shoulder thereon adapted to pass between the yarn and the needlecarrying th yarn for forming loops upon oscillation of the first-namedshaft, the means for imparting oscillation to the looper shaft beingtimed to impart oscillation to the looper shaft after the first shafthas oscillated so that upon oscilla- 50 tion of the looper shaft, theloop is moved downwardly and lengthened as the needle moves upwardlythrough the fabric.

5. In a looping machine having a plurality of needles and anoscillatable shaft having fixed 55 thereon a plurality of loopers, asecond oscillatable shaft having arms fixed thereon and in the free endsof which the first oscillatable shaft is mounted, means for impartingoscillation to the second shaft for producing loops on the lower sidesof a 60 fabric being passed through the machine, a feed roll driven intimed relation to the needles for pulling the fabric through themachine, each of the loopers having a shoulder near its free end Yadapted to engage a strand of yarn and to hold 65 th yarn while theneedle is withdrawn from the fabric to form loops on the lower sidethereof and means for imparting oscillation to the first oscillatableshaft to draw the strands of yarn farther downwardly than the point towhich they were 7 drawn by oscillation of the second shaft.

LYMAN HAMRICK.

